1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system and method for monitoring portable articles so as to avoid unauthorized removal thereof from a prescribed area.
2. Background Art
Theft of portable articles from point of purchase displays has reached epidemic levels worldwide. Extreme competition for sales has caused purveyors to display articles with such accessibility that they are highly vulnerable to being removed by unauthorized personnel. Point of purchase displays are tending more and more towards allowing unencumbered inspection and operation of portable devices, such as electronic devices, to allow customers to make informed purchasing decisions. Inherently, by making the articles so convenient for inspection, they likewise become prone to being absconded with by persons that are not easily distinguishable from legitimate purchasers.
The security industry has developed myriad systems for securing and monitoring portable articles, as at point of purchase displays. These systems range from simple mechanical tethers to sophisticated, programmable electronics, with high level monitoring capabilities. Some of these systems rely on mechanical and/or electromechanical cables to confine articles within a prescribed area, as dictated by the lengths of the cables. Another type of system uses a tag that is secured to an article and that is detected by scanners, which are strategically placed near exit doors. These systems are generally designed so that at the checkout counter the tag is either disarmed or removed from the article so that the scanner at the exit will not cause a detectable signal to be generated, as the article is removed from the premises. These systems offer the advantage that the articles are essentially unencumbered so that they can be inspected and used in normal fashion, yet will be protected against unauthorized removal from a prescribed area.
One form of the last-described system that has been utilized in recent years is a reusable system that has both a tag, which will be detected by a scanner, and an audible alarm that is activated in the event that the system is removed from the article being monitored. In one exemplary form, a housing is provided with a chamber within which electronic components and a power supply are provided. A detection circuit can be armed by initially establishing a conductive path through a jumper element. The jumper element has an end that is selectively operatively attached to complete a circuit path and separable from a component on the housing. In the former state, the jumper element and housing define a closed loop that can be formed around any appropriate part of an article to be secured, such as a handle on a tool box or a piece of luggage, a finger opening on a power tool, etc. By using an authorized operating key, the end of the jumper element can be secured and the system armed so that a break in continuity of the path defined by the jumper element will cause the alarm to be activated. This construction avoids undetectable removal of the armed system from an article being monitored in the absence of the system being disarmed through the use of the key. At the same time, with the system operatively attached to an article, the tag will be detected by a scanner, should an individual attempt to remove the article without the system being appropriately disarmed or removed.
While these systems are effective in terms of their security capability, they represent a significant financial investment to those businesses that use them. One advantage afforded by this construction is that the systems are readily reusable. Checkout personnel can use the authorized operating key to disarm the system and separate the same from the article. The removed system can then be placed on another article by performing relatively simple re-assembly and re-arming steps.
One of the biggest problems with the above types of systems is that severance of the jumper element by a thief precludes re-use of the system. In a conventional construction, one end of the jumper element is permanently electrically and mechanically attached to and within the housing. Once the jumper element is severed or damaged, it is not economically practical to repair or reconstruct the system, even though the jumper element itself represents a relatively insignificant part of the overall expense of the system.
Consequently, those using these types of systems in the past have had to make decisions with respect to investment in security by comparing anticipated losses in dollars in the absence of their use, versus costs of such security systems, factoring in the need to replace the same each time a jumper element is compromised. In some situations, the shop owner may be inclined to forego using this effective type of security system only to be required to make a later future investment when theft losses accumulate. A failure to use appropriate security may make a business an inviting target for thieves.